Wondering who you should start this week — AJ Barner or Cade Otton? The start/sit call and the numbers behind it are below, plus who wins a straight-up trade. Rebuilt nightly.
Start AJ Barner — barelyThis one is a coin flip — the projections are within 0.2 points. The matchup leans AJ Barner (ARI allow the 8th-most TE points), but you can defend either call.
Player
Wk 9
Proj (PPR)
Matchup
Form L3
Trade value
Status
AJ BarnerSTART
vs ARI
7.9
8th · soft
5.8
–
healthy
Cade Otton
@ CHI
7.7
21st
4.9
–
healthy
TEs vs ARI recently: Colby Parkinson 9.1 pts (W6) · Evan Engram 0.2 pts (W7) · James Mitchell 6 pts (W8).
TEs vs CHI recently: Kyle Pitts Sr. 18 pts (W6) · Eli Raridon 11.6 pts (W7) · AJ Barner 2.3 pts (W8).
🎓 The coach's read
Projections are 0.2 apart — too close to call on projection alone.
Cade Otton has the higher floor (2.4) — the safer start if you are favoured.
AJ Barner has the higher ceiling (16.1) — the play if you need points.
Cade Otton is steady — about 10% less volatile week to week than a typical TE projected here — higher floor, lower ceiling.
AJ Barner faces ARI, 8th most generous to TEs.
Cade Otton faces CHI, 21st most generous to TEs.
Who wins a straight-up trade?
Their trade values are effectively even — a one-for-one is a fair swap on the numbers.